PPS resins are excellent in heat resistance, mechanical properties, and chemical resistance, and thus are used, for example, in the fabrication of parts for electric equipment and automobiles, utilizing the above excellent characteristics. Further, since the plating processing which was hitherto considered to be difficult because of excessively high chemical resistance of the PPS resins has become possible, the PPS resins can also be effectively applied for reflector plates, printed circuit boards, electromagnetic shields, sheathed parts, etc.
As such PPS resin compositions for plating, a PPS resin and glass fiber composition as described in Japanese Pat. Application (OPI) No. 54290/84 (the term "OPI" as used herein means a "published unexamined patent application") and a PPS resin, glass fiber, and calcium carbonate composition as described also in Japanese Pat. Application (OPI) No. 54290/84 are under investigation. These compositions, however, have disadvantages in that the initial plate peel strength is low and post-treatment such as aging for a long time is needed, and thus are somewhat unsuitable for practical use.
Furthermore, since PPS resins are excellent in chemical resistance, there is available no suitable etching solution to be used as a plating pre-processing solution at the etching step and, therefore, a plated article excellent in adhesion properties has not yet been obtained.
It has therefore been desired to develop, as well as an etching solution for PPS resins, PPS resin compositions which permit the fabrication of plated articles having excellent plate adhesion properties and also having good surface luster.